Olympic Torch in BMW Wind Tunnel

BMW as you know is an sponsor of the 2012 London Olympics, and by the looks of things they are taking advantage of every bit of it.

The latest promotional campaign is one irrelevant one. They took the Olympic torch to a BMW wind tunnel to test it before the event! BMW’s Energy and Environmental Test Centre (ETC) in Munich – which brings some of the world’s most extreme weather systems into one building – has been put to use to test the Olympic Torch ahead of its 70 day Olympic Relay around the UK. BMW says they want to make sure the torch stays on in different UK weather conditions.

We’re wondering what Olympic people did in all the previous events without BMW and its wind tunnel! Did the torch went off every five second then?

BMW press release:

BMW, as the Official Automotive Partner of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and an expert in efficiency and state-of-the-art testing, was the natural location to house a bespoke range of tests developed by LOCOG and the engineering partner of the Olympic Torch, Tecosim.

As the Olympic Torch travels around the UK it will have to stay alight in all British weather including freezing temperatures at the summit of Snowdon, swirling winds on the Shetland Islands and the summer heat of the South coast of England, not to mention the inevitable summer shower; all of which it will be able to cope with after going through the stringent testing process.

The Torch stood up to some extreme weather conditions at the BMW facility, enduring -5C to +40C temperatures, +50mph winds, snow packing the front of the torch and driving rain, as the flame stayed lit throughout.

Double Olympic champion, Daley Thompson, experienced some of the conditions first hand, standing in one of the wind tunnels at the ETC with the Olympic Torch. He said: “The Olympic Torch Relay is set to build excitement for London 2012 throughout the UK, so it’s really important that the Torch can cope with our unpredictable British weather. Seeing the facility that BMW has and knowing the Torch has been tested so robustly makes me sure we’re going to be able to build that excitement ahead of a brilliant summer of sport.”

Ralph Huber, Head of Technology Communications, BMW Group added: “The facility carries out around 15 hours of tests per day, allowing us to scrutinise all our vehicles and bring greater efficiency to the development of new cars from concept to the road. By providing the facility to LOCOG we hope that we have helped play a part in the successful replication of a similar process for the Olympic Torch.”